Toothbrush



May 24, 1932. H, D BELL 1,859,425

TOOTHBRUSH Filed March 18, 1931 r HN mm nventoz 35134@ @Mor/w05 L/' g 'l 4^ Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED ,STATES HARBYD. Bannon NEW vonk, N. Y.

i Application iiledMarch 18, 1,931. Seria1.No. `523,406`. 'Y

lliis invention relates to improvements in toothv brushesA and has particularreference to tooth brushes inV which the bristle support' may be readily removed from the tooth brush :V 5 so that the tooth brush may be made and sold Y in two pieces, one portion being the bristle supporting element or head and the other ele- `ment being the handle. 4 -Y Y A main object of the invention is to provide simple, strong, durable and economicalfly manufactured elements provided vwith automatically latehing and unlatching means gether asa complete tooth brush and readily supporting elements are to be employed.

vide such a construction of latching and engaging elements cooperating'with the head and the handle as will permit the quick and easy assembly of it, and yet be capable of being manufactured at lowcost, while at the same time being strong, durable, sanitary and not objectionable in appearance.

Further and more specic objects, features and4 advantages willmore clearly appear from a consideration of the specification hereinafter taken in connection with the accomspecification and which illustrate a preferred form of the invention.

Briefl the invention in its present preferred orm comprises a handle element, a bristle supporting element andrcooperating means disposed in said elements to vprevent relativel longitudinal and turning movement when the elements are properly and operatively engaged. j I Y V'Preferably one of the elementsV is provided with a lateralslot and a ldepression or aperture and the other element is provided with a projecting Vflange and a projecting iinger adapted to respectively engage said slot and 'depression, when ithe elements are engaged,

present and to hold them in this positionl and prevent form shown in Fig. 4; an whereby they can `be -readily assembled todisassembled when new bristles or new bristle f relative turning 'and longitudinal displacement. Y Y A f The presentV preferred form of the invention is illustrated inthe drawings, of which Fig. l-is a plan view of the preferred form Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section;V

Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof thelatc member;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of-a modified -form of the invention; Y v "15' Y Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the modified form of `latch member'. v

As shown in the drawings the preferred form of theinvention comp-rises a bristle supportingelement or head l() and a handle element 1lv provided with bores 12 and 13 openv ing into adjacent ends of these elements. 'Y In the bore 13 is preferably disposed a rolled "65 metal split tube 14 adapted to lit snugly in said bore andtobe fastened therein in any suitable manner. This tube is provided :with

a laterally projecting flange 15 and a hook, Y or finger 16. "70

j The bristle supporting element of the head V10 is provided with a lateralslot 17"`adja cent the openf end of the bore 12 and'with Va -panying drawings which formf part of the -ment with the slot will prevent turningnrovement. The material of which the latch member or tube 14 is made, as well as the project- '85 ing finger 16, will cause the linger to be suiiiciently resilient to spring into its hole when properly aligned therewith. l,rl'referablythe tube 1 4 with the flange and the proj ecting inger are made out of one pieceof stamped metal to reduce the cost of manufacture tothe very minimum.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 4, and 6, the parts are substantiallj7 5 the same except that the'projeeting hook or iinger is now a separate element from! the tube 14C. In these figures the projecting finger is shown in the form of a plate 19 fastened by screw 2() ina groove in the surf ace of the handle element 11, and projecting therefrom so that the plate 19 is flush with the surface of the handle. rllhe head 1 0 is provided witha .groove 21 at the! inner end of which there is a depression 22. Whenthe .15 handle and the head are operatively engaged the hook 16 and the plate19` will ride'along f the groove 21 until it comes in line with the r depression whereupon the natural resiliency of the plate 19 will cause the hookl torsnap 20 down into the depression 22.` `That portion Yof the plate 19 lying in;thefgroove21ywill,

therefore, head l0.' Theend of the hook or finger 1,6 does not quite reach to the `end of the depression .2&5 so that a person can slide his thumb nail under the` end vof the hook toV remove it` open end of saidbore and an opening in the easily. Y s f Y,

To detach the hook or finger 16 of the vpreferred vform shown in Figs., 1, 2 and 3, the fin- 39 ger or a pointed member can beintroduced intol the hole '18 to depress'v this hook far enough to permit the handle tobe withdrawn.

It will be readily observedthat this invention permits the ready assembly of the'bristle 3.5fhead; soa-thatnew bristle heads with new brisdes Ymay 'be substituted at will. The s latch Y member maybe mounted without altering the invention either on the handle element or on fthehead. lThe reversal of the position of the 40 j latch member will merely mean the reversal l ofthefposition of the slot and apertures with Wheh the flanges. and the, fmgers 011th@ latch -members enga-ge. This Simple labelling member in; either forml can be manufactured at low 45 cost and provides a simple, economical, durable,Vv and eiicient device whereby the handle l,on thel head can be readily lassembled and disassernbled.V The parts whenin position are .praeticaily entirely concealedand 'are` not 5 objectionable since they either line within thehead andhandle or are iiush with the sur'- face thereof. ,Y

Whilethe invention has4 been` described in detail. and with respect to a present preferred fermthereof it is not tobe limited to such details and Vforms since many` changes and mefiatons may be made .in the invention Withoutdeparting yfrom the spirit and scope ofl the invention inY its broadest aspects. 50 Hence it isV desired to cover any` and all forms v and modifi,cations of the invention which may cemeuwithin the language or scope yof ally one4 o r more of the appended claims. What is claimed, is.:

bore in the handle element, a projecting latbe flush with the surface of theA tween the elements.

said last namedelement havinglalslotand depression therein, a metal tube disposed in a er-al'-ii'angefandfa projecting-finger on said tube., Said flange and finger adapted to engageV respectively with the slot and depression.to-holdtheelements together and prevent relative'longitudinal and turning move- 85 c ment.

k3. Atooth brush comprisingzafhandle ele ment, a separable bristle supporting element, both of said elementsl havingfbores opening into adjacent endssaid, bristle supporting element having a lateralslot adjacent the plane at right angles to, thev Slot at 'theother end of the bore, av tubular latch l'member disposed in the `bore of the4 handlel element, `a, .-mi

lateral projecting iiange on, Said latch member and a forwardly projecting finger on said latch member, said flange, adapted to enter said slot and saidfinger adapted to; enter the bore of the bristle supperting;elementgand; `10o engage in the aperture thereinwhen thev elements are operativelyaligned.,V ,v I

4. A tooth brush comprisingy ahandleelement, a` separable,v bristle supporting element, both of said elements hav-ing centralv boresfcios opening into adjacent ends, said bristle Supporting element having a lateral slotadj acent the open end of` its bore and af groove along its top surface a plane at righ/12.. alglesgto said slot, said groove havingaa depression '.110 at its inner end, ajtubularlatclr mlllb'er snugly disposed nthfborle 0f the handle-element, a laterally projecting flange on said tubular member adapted to. engage said,slot,.and, a projecting'. hook on theftop surface of the 1115 handle element; adapted to. lie in; thefgroore on the top Surface 0f the bristle. Supporting element, e 'hook Portion; Vwhen there/laments are operatively engaged,V adapted; to, lie- -in said depression,l these engagements; prevent- 3.120 111g longitudineal'v and lateral-movement; be-

5. 'A tooth brush'comprisingay handlgqf, i

tion,y a separable. bristle ,supporting element,

both of said elements.havingboresg'openingl f into* adj acent ends, a'metal stem lyingsnugly In Sadbetes and Connecting; said-elements, one of said, elements hayinga depressionen its Out Surfen@ adjacent. its, end,l the other element having; a', PIzOiQQtingfnger adapted 13 

